Cooper Grace Ward is proud to announce that 24 of our lawyers have been recognised across 22 expertise areas in Best Lawyers list of leading lawyers for 2026.
Of the 24 team members named in this year's list, 19 were named in the individual Best Lawyers rankings and five were praised as 'Ones to Watch' in the areas of Insurance Law, Personal Injury Litigation, Real Property Law and Tax Law. This includes first time recognition for Tom Walrut, recently promoted to special counsel, who has been recognised for his expertise in Tax Law.
Best Lawyers is a highly regarded, peer-reviewed publication that brings together top names in a range of specialist practice areas worldwide.
A huge congratulations to all lawyers listed!
Below is the full list of our lawyers recognised by Best Lawyers (with the year they were first listed).
Annie Smeaton (2020)
Labour and Employment Law
Belinda Winter (2013)
Labour and Employment Law
Occupational Health and Safety Law
Brady Cockburn (2018)
Insurance Law
Motor Vehicle Law
Personal Injury Litigation
Chantal Kirkwood (2024)
Leasing Law
Charles Sweeney (2013)
Commercial Law
Corporate Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Clinton Jackson (2019)
Superannuation Law
Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice
Clive Nichol (2018)
Leasing Law
Real Property Law
David Grace (2014)
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Commercial Law
Competition Law
Corporate / Governance Practice
Corporate Law
Greg Cahill (2012)
Commercial Law
Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates
Greg Thorne (2020)
Banking and Finance Law
Justine Woods (2017)
Family Law
Family Law Mediation
Kathy Prince (2024)
Real Property Law
Laura Gahan (2025)
Leasing Law
Real Property Law
Leeann Murphy (2020)
Family Law
Family Law Mediation
Linda Tapiolas (2018)
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Tax Law
Trusts and Estates
Marcus Ford (2020)
Real Property Law
Philip Vickery (2019)
Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Corporate Law
Franchise Law
Rocco Russo (2021)
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Commercial Law
Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Scott Hay-Bartlem (2014)
Commercial Law
Superannuation Law
Trusts and Estates
Wealth Management / Succession Planning Practice
Tony Park (2013)
Insurance Law
Motor Vehicle Law
Personal Injury Litigation
Best Lawyers – Ones to Watch
Jess Byrne – Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
Damien Jarrett – Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
Cameron Lack – Real Property Law
Kim Villis – Insurance Law and Personal Injury Litigation
Tom Walrut – Tax Law